Iranian convert deported from Turkey after fleeing 10-year imprisonment for house church involvement

An Iranian Christian who fled a decade-long prison sentence for participating in a house church was deported from Turkey and arrested on arrival in Iran. The 37-year-old man had attempted to travel from Turkey to Europe after fleeing Iran earlier this year.

Mehran Shamloui, a convert from Islam, was arrested by Turkish authorities in Istanbul while attempting to leave for Europe without valid travel documents. He was deported to Mashhad in northeastern Iran, where he was taken into custody by Iranian security forces on arrival, Middle East Concern reported.

Shamloui had left Iran earlier this year after he and two fellow converts were handed heavy prison sentences on March 8 by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The charges stemmed from their Christian beliefs and participation in house churches. The same verdict sentenced Shamloui to over 10 years in prison and fined him 250 million tomans ($2,750), according to Barnabas Aid.

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